Tom Hanks Tests Positive for Coronavirus
Hollywood star and wife Rita Wilson both taken ill with deadly virus
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Hollywood star Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for the deadly novel coronavirus, the family has revealed.
The A-list actor and his wife, both 63, announced their positive test results on social media last night, urging the public to "take care."
The couple is currently in Australia where the Oscar winner is filming an untitled Baz Luhrmann-directed Elvis Presley film in the Gold Coast.
In a statement on Twitter, Hanks revealed he and his wife experienced symptoms similar to the common cold, including body aches and chills, before they decided to get tested.
The couple had visited crowded Australian hotspots, including Bondi Beach and the Sydney Opera House, before their diagnosis - raising fears that others may have been infected.
"People who have come in close contact with Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson will now need to self isolate and quarantine," the premier of Queensland said.
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The A-list couple has now been placed in isolation at Gold Coast University Hospital where health officials say they are in a "stable condition," according to News Pushed.
"Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia," Hanks said on Twitter.
"We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches.
"Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too.
"To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive.
"Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed.
"We Hanks' will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires.
"Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no?
"We'll keep the world posted and updated. Take care of yourselves! Hanx!"
— Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) March 12, 2020
Hanks, a two-time Oscar winner and star of films including Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan and The Post, is the highest profile Hollywood figure to be diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus.
The couple's son Chet later posted a video on Twitter saying that he had spoken to his parents and that they were doing fine.
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Moments before Hanks posted the news online, President Donald Trump addressed the US and announced a host of new measures.
Most notably, America is suspending all travel from Europe, excluding the UK, for 30 days starting from Friday.
The entertainment industry is also reeling from the outbreak and a host of major events have been canceled.
According to News Thud, the NBA has also just announced that it is suspending the rest of its season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus.
